Chapter 58

A/N: This fic is open for nomination for the 2009 Owl Awards! I hope you will check out this fic and the other wonderful stories on that site and put in some nominations!

The reviews have been so lovely! I appreciate each and every one. Keep them coming. Again, my deepest thanks to WriterMerrin, who keeps working with my pitiful grammatical errors! Lots of tense stuff ahead, so be warned. Severus is going to be madder than a wet hen.

***

The first of September arrived, and with it came the Hogwarts Express. Hermione was stationed at the end of the line where the students got into the carriages to take them to Hogwarts. She kept her eyes open, looking for Harry. She watched as Ginny, Ron, Luna, and Neville walked by. Ginny and Ron still weren't speaking to her. After they discovered her real past and identity, they had said they were afraid of her and felt betrayed. Only Luna and Neville said "Hi." The rest of the Gryffindors, having heard about the truth behind Hermione's life, decided to stay as far away as possible. Hermione wasn't too fussed. Sure, it stung that Ron and Ginny weren't talking to her, but the rest could hang.

Tonks jabbed Hermione in the ribs with her elbow and said, "That's the last of them. I didn't see Harry. Did you?"

"No," Hermione said as uncertainty began to creep inside her. "Let's go."

They jumped onto the departing train as it creaked its way out of the station.

"Go get that conductor to stop moving," Tonks said brusquely.

Hermione carefully made her way up to the front and pointed her wand at the Conductor's head.

"Stop this train right now," she said in a deadly whisper.

The conductor raised his hands and then furiously began to stop the train.

She stayed with him, silently keeping watch over him and her surroundings. At last, she heard a distant, "I got him!"

Hermione jumped off the train and saw Tonks with a bloodied Harry.

"Harry?" Hermione gasped. "What on earth happened to you?"

"Malfoy," he said through gritted teeth.

"What did he do?" she asked.

"I just wasn't careful enough," he muttered, not looking at her. "I have to get to the castle."

Tonks was in front of them, telling the conductor to go on. "We'll walk you to the castle, Harry," said Tonks. "Hermione and I got guard duty. Here, let me fix your face."

"Oh, right," Harry said, his face a bit brighter. "How do you like Auror training?"

"A bit mind-numbing at first, but now I get to do some actual field work," Hermione answered as she smiled.

"In this rain?"

"I got me slicker," said Tonks. "Hermione here's got a right proper Macintosh! Here we go! I'll send a Patronus to let them know we're coming."

Hermione watched a wolf or a werewolf leap out from Tonks' wand and bound its way towards the castle. Tonks' face fell at the sight of her own Patronus.

"It changed, you know," she whispered to Hermione. "It used to be a frog, jumping up and down all the time. Then one day, it became a werewolf."

"Hey, Tonks," Harry asked. "How did you find me?"

"Hermione and I noticed you didn't get off the train, and I knew you had that cloak on you. So when I noticed a compartment with the blinds drawn, I figured I'd search there."

"But what are you and Hermione doing here anyway? Why the guard duty?" he asked.

"We're stationed at Hogsmeade now to give the school extra protection. Dawlish, Proudfoot, and Savage are with us. Hermione will get some proper training when not on duty. She'll be a full-fledged Auror before the three years are up, that's for sure!" Tonks said proudly.

Harry glanced at Hermione briefly before setting his gaze straight ahead. Hermione figured he didn't want any reminders of Hermione's real life.

They remained silent the rest of the way, and when they reached the gates, Harry raised his wand, and Tonks stopped him. "Don't try. We'll have to wait it out in the rain."

"It won't work, Harry," said Hermione. "Not with all the extra enchantments Flitwick and Dumbledore have placed on the castle walls."

"Anti-intruder jinxes on all of them. Security has been tightened a hundred-fold this summer," informed Tonks. "But don't worry! Someone's comin' for you. I told you sending the Patronus ahead would help."

Hermione squeezed her hands and kept silent. When they arrived at the gate, Severus was there to greet them. Her heart leapt at the sight of him. Tonks and Harry knew about Snape and Hermione's marriage, but Severus must have felt he needed to keep in character. He was a right bastard. He glowered at Harry as he took out his wand and tapped the padlock once, so the chains snaked backward and the gates creaked open. "How considerate of you to grace us with your presence, Potter."

Harry gritted his teeth and looked upon the Potions master as if he were filth. Severus spoke to Tonks, not once taking his unblinking eyes off Harry.

"You may leave, Nymphadora, Hermione. Potter is old enough to care of himself, I'm sure."

He shut the gates in their faces with a loud clang and tapped the chains with his wand so they slithered back into place.

"Your Patronus is quite... ah, interesting," he said with obvious disgust. "The new one looks a bit obnoxious."

He turned on his heel and walked back inside with Harry without even so much as a glance at his wife. Tonks was furious, but Hermione was livid.

"Your Patronus is quite interesting," Tonks mocked him. "Who does he think he is?"

Hermione was silent as she stood listening to the rain patter around her.

"He didn't even recognize you as his wife. He obviously knew who you were! He said your name! Oh, I'm sorry, Hermione, but your husband can be a real prick sometimes."

"Yes, well, speaking of pricks," Hermione began, "Severus will pay dearly for that scene. He'll have to keep on with his own prick for quite some time," she said testily. "He will suffer for that insulting display!"

Tonks snorted. "You're going to make him go without, even if he took the time to sneak away to be with you?"

"Not only that," Hermione spat, "but I'll lead him to believe he's going to get some snatch and shut the store down right in his face!"

"Circe's tits, Hermione!" she swore. "You've got a vindictive streak in you."

"You have no idea," she said as she looked at her mentor coldly. They remained there in the rain and mud. It was fucking cold, and Hermione felt if she didn't get relieved soon, she would get a horrible cold. If that happened, she'd have to take that bloody Pepper-up Potion with steam pouring out of her ears. It wasn't very dignified or helpful when one was trying to learn about concealment.

Soon, Dawlish and Savage showed up.

"Wotcher, Dawg," Tonks muttered. "Where's Proudfoot?" she asked Savage.

"Lucky wanker got the short straw. He gets to stay in tonight," said Savage as he pulled his slicker tighter around his neck. "Why don't you and the firstie go get him off his arse. He can help with some combat training."

"We'll see," Tonks said. "Cheers!" she called as she and Hermione walked off. As soon as they reached the boundary line, Tonks said, "Meet you in front of the Three Broomsticks." The two witches Apparated from there.

"Well, look what the kneazle dragged in," said Rosmerta stoutly. "Care for a Firewhisky?"

"Ta, Rosmerta," Tonks said tiredly.

Hermione had forgotten what dry felt like. She was well and truly knackered. She was starving too, but sleeping took precedence. After she drank her shot, she asked Tonks, "Where's our room?"

Rosmerta tossed her a key and said, "Number four, up the stairs last on the hall," she said quietly. Hermione took the key gratefully. "You coming?" she asked Tonks as she nudged her.

"No, I think I'll have another," she said morosely.

Hermione frowned. "I'm not getting out of bed if you pass out," she warned her.

"It's all right, Hermione," she said with a toss of her hand. "I'd like to be alone anyway."

Hermione said goodnight to Rosmerta and made her way up to her room. She barely managed to light a fire and get out of her wet clothes before collapsing into bed.

***

The next morning, all five Aurors sat together for breakfast and a morning meeting. Dawlish was the Senior Auror, so he led the discussion.

"All right, then," he said as he cleared his throat. "I'm bloody well tired and want to get in me bed. So, I'll make this short an' sweet. Every morning, we'll meet for breakfast to go over news with a nosh. We've got a snoot full, so listen up.

"First off, we need to recognize what we do and what we don't do. We don't provide special favors for little brown-nosers. We make sure the village is safe, Hogwarts is safe, and that includes the road from here to there. We stand guard in rotating shifts. We've got to mix it up a bit, keep 'em guessin'. Now for the big news. Snape?" he called out.

"Sir?" Hermione answered.

"Your husband is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Congratulations. Did you know that?" he asked.

Hermione felt her face go numb. "Uh, no...I haven't spoken with my husband since the end of last school year. Last night, I saw him for a moment, but he didn't talk to me."

"S'true," Tonks corroborated. "He was a bloody arse."

"You don't have any knowledge of what has happened these last three months?" he asked.

"Like I said, Dawlish," Hermione repeated. "Severus and I knew the plan. We had to go our separate ways. If there's something I need to know, he'll tell me."

"You know there's a bloody curse on that job," whispered Savage.

"Yes, I am well aware!" snapped Hermione as she stabbed at her food.

***

Hermione continued working. The days were passing by quickly. The evenings were mostly spent working with Tonks and one of the other Aurors with combat training. Things were relatively calm, and the Aurors were a bit unnerved. They had expected at least some sort of upset either at the castle or in the village, but nothing was amiss.

***

Hermione was patrolling outside and watched as Ginny Weasley walked towards her

"Hi, Hermione," she said, looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"Ginny," she said with a nod.

"Look, I'm sorry we took everything so badly," she apologized. "It's just so hard to understand how you kept so much of your life from us. Also, it's a bit difficult for us to understand why you married Snape."

The mention of her husband churned Hermione's anger. "So, what do you want?" she snapped.

Ginny exhaled and looked around her before whispering, "I thought you would want to know that Harry has this book that he got in Potions. Our new professor, Slughorn, well, he's not the smartest bloke in the world. He's definitely not the discerning type. Anyway, Harry didn't have the Potions book he needed for class, and Slughorn gave him one. There are all these different notations in it, spells and different ways of making potions. I'm worried since, well, you remember how everything turned out with Tom's diary."

Hermione's brow furrowed. "You're saying he's taking orders from this book?" she asked.

"Not really orders. It's not as if he's being possessed. It's just that he's really getting into this book, and there are a lot of spells that look like they were created by this Prince person."

"What?" Hermione snapped at her.

Ginny's eyes flew wide open. "I-It says right on the book, 'This Book is the Property of the Half-Blood Prince.'"

Holy fuck! thought Hermione. Severus! All his stupid little revenge plans, scribbling in that book. That book could be very dangerous in someone else's hands.

Hermione remembered Severus losing his temper and slicing Sirius' chest open with his own spell, Sectumsempra. That spell was there along with others, most of them harmless, but some could really hurt or perhaps kill someone.

Hermione took Ginny by the shoulders. "That book needs to be returned to Slughorn. Harry shouldn't have that book," she said while reminding herself to steady her voice. "Ginny, would you pass a message to my husband?"

"Sure," she whispered, sounding afraid.

"Tell him number four. He'll figure it out," she said cryptically. Then she walked away from Ginny. She hated the silence, the feeling that he didn't care that they were apart. He had made no attempts to contact her, to inquire about her safety. She was so angry with him. She didn't know what she was going to do when he came knocking on her door.

***

Hermione didn't have time to think about her husband's reaction when, the following evening, Severus burst open the door and advanced on her menacingly.

She shakily pointed her wand at him, and he laughed. He turned his head from her and continued to laugh. Then his eyes met hers. "Is this what we've come to?" he snarled. "I don't even know you anymore."

Hermione lowered her wand, looking at him as if he had wounded her. He quickly grabbed her and threw her on the bed, forcing her nightgown up her legs. She began to scream as she tried to keep the material down.

He stopped, covering her mouth. "What kind of Auror are you?" he demanded. "You can't even handle me trying to assault you! Do you think a Death Eater, not your husband, would be any kinder or gentler?"

Hermione was sobbing now. He got up off her, and she curled into a ball. She could feel his anger washing over her.

"I told you to stay safe! I told you to stay at the Burrow or at Hogwarts! Imagine my surprise when I discovered from other people that my wife is now becoming an Auror! What in the bloody hell were you thinking? Do you want to get killed?" he roared.

Hermione cringed at his voice, the way his words hit her like a whip, punishing her, accusing her, belittling her. She covered her face. She didn't want to see his sneering visage watch her tears.

"You are pathetic," he bit out at her.

Hermione raised her head and looked into his hate-filled eyes. She launched onto him and began to beat, scratch, and pummel any flesh her hands and nails met.

"You mean, spiteful shit!" she screamed. He threw her off him and touched his face with his fingers.

He stamped one foot on the floor. "FUCK!" he swore as he saw the blood on his fingers. He laughed again as Hermione scrambled to her feet, standing now in her rumpled nightgown, panting, and focusing her wand and eyes warily on him.

"Is that what they teach you at the Auror Department?" he sneered. "To attack with your nails?"

Hermione straightened her back and lowered her wand. "If I had known that the man who was my friend and husband would be attacking me, if I had only known that was what I should expect from the man I have shared my body with, the man who knew what I had been through, I think I would have been prepared!" she bit out at him.

She turned from him with her back straight and unyielding. She sat down at the vanity next to her bed, brushing her hair and ignoring him.

He stood there in silence. She looked at him through her mirror and said with her voice cold and cruel as she could, "Get out, Severus. Go back to your students you can control and whip into submission like the petty tyrant you are. I have no use for you."

"Why did you defy me?" he challenged her.

She turned and glared at him. "I don't owe you a damn thing. You forfeited that right the moment you barged into this room. I've been at the castle day and night, and not ONCE have you even expressed your care for me or your concern for what I do. You haven't even acknowledged me as your wife! I could have even accepted your anger...even your disappointment. But what you did by attacking me was unforgivable, Severus. Do you understand? Unforgivable!"

He turned slowly towards the door. He spoke to her while keeping his back to her. "I had to show you what you are doing to us, Hermione. I needed you to realize what was at stake. I am so angry that you have pitted us against each other! Isn't it enough the Dark Lord is doing that already?" He slammed his fists on the door. "You can't send me away, Hermione. I demand an answer. Why?"

Hermione looked at his back, watching it quiver and shake. "You did a terrible thing. You used our intimacy as a way to punish me. If any intruder had come through that door, I would have hexed him into oblivion, but not you. Why should I have to fear my husband?"

He turned around swiftly and said ferociously, "That is the fucking point, Hermione! That would be exactly what the Dark Lord would love, to get you in his clutches and force me to hurt you for his own warped pleasure. What I did to you would be just a taste of what I would be compelled to do if we want to live. Can you understand that? That is the cold, hard reality!"

"Why couldn't you just have told me?" she accused him.

"No amount of words could prepare you for that reality. It is killing me, knowing I can't touch you, can't love you. I am under so much pressure; I can't even speak of you to anyone. It's just plain torture that I have to pretend I have thrown you away, that I despise you. Isn't it enough? But no! You have to place yourself into the mix. Did you ever think of what you might have to do if you caught me? What I would have to do to escape from you? Do you realize I would have to kill you?" he whispered at the end.

Hermione gasped. Severus sat on the bed with his hands in his face. "Why do you have to make this so difficult?" he choked out.

Hermione stood, facing her husband, her arms folded across her chest. "Do you really think that it would be any different if I were at the Burrow or at Hogwarts? If they want to get to me, they will. At least I will have a fighting chance if they do come. So don't you accuse me of acting like some petulant child who has defied her father!" she snapped.

She walked to get her robe from her bureau. "Nothing about this war is fair. Your trying to hide me away like a precious china doll won't stop me from being broken. I'm not an object that you can tell what to do and make me do it. You can't decide my future. You can't do your work and protect me from any and all danger." She slipped her robe on and sat on the opposite side of the bed, their backs to each other.

"I love you, Hermione," Severus whispered.

"I love you too, Severus," she replied. "However, saying the words doesn't make what happened here resolved. I think you should return when you are able to show your love for me, not just say the words and treat me like your inferior."

She marched over and wrenched the door open, signaling her desire for him to leave. He left, sadly and with desperate, pleading looks. However, Hermione was unmoved. She meant what she had said.

When he had left, she slammed the door and charmed it shut. She stood there trembling. Slowly, she made her way to her bed, curled up, and cried.

***

"Well," said Dawlish over breakfast one morning. "If we could get that book from Potter and analyze it, that would be ideal. Do you think we could just demand it of him, Tonks?"

"I think so," she replied as she looked furtively over at Hermione.

"All right," said Proudfoot as he faced Hermione. "Come and spill it, love. What's got you all shaken up?"

Hermione shrugged. "I had a fight with Severus," she whispered.

"You mean you've actually had contact with him?" asked Savage, wide-eyed.

Hermione fixed her glare on him. "I am his wife, you realize!" she practically yelled.

"Settle down," ordered Dawlish lazily. "Hermione, you know that Severus is neck deep in You-Know-Who's shite. From the intelligence coming from Robards, Severus is now his right-hand man. Lucius Malfoy mucked it all up by not getting that prophecy. He's really pissed off at the lot of them. Snape is the only one who has been able to keep his arse clean."

"He's angry that I joined up with the Auror Department," Hermione blurted out.

They all looked at each other and then at her. Finally Tonks said, "I can't actually blame the poor sod for thinking that way. After all, I thought it would be safer if you went into hiding."

Hermione's head snapped up from her plate. "Oh, and get killed just like Karkaroff? No, thanks! Listen! If they want to get me, they'll do it. At least this way, I get to learn to protect myself," she raged.

"She's right, you know," said Proudfoot. "Still doesn't make the situation easier."

"Nothing is easy about war," huffed Hermione.

She stabbed at her breakfast, and Dawlish said, "All right then, best start the day. Tonks, Snape, you go off for guard duty. Savage and Proudfoot will relieve you."

They set off and began their work for the day. Hermione just wanted peace and quiet. She didn't want to have to prove herself to anyone. She was doing what she felt was right, just as Severus had done. Even though they were on bad terms, she still did not regret her choice.

***

Ginny came out around lunch and handed them some hot sandwiches and hot cocoa.

"Ohh!" said Tonks as she wrapped her hands around the cup. "Ta, Ginny."

"Hermione, can I talk to you alone?" she asked quietly.

"Sure," said Hermione. "You can walk with me on my next circuit."

Ginny was nervous, whatever it was. Hermione sighed and said, "Just come out with it, Ginny," she said impatiently.

"Well, I've been doing a lot of thinking. Harry is starting to get really obsessed about Draco. He swears something is going on. You've always been the logical one, so I thought I'd tell you and you could give me your assessment."

She continued. "When we were at Diagon Alley getting fitted for new robes, Draco and his mum were already there at Madam Malkin's. Twice she fiddled around his left forearm, and he nearly bit her head off. Harry reckons he's taken the Dark Mark.

"Then we followed him after he got rid of his mum, and he went into Knockturn Alley. He went into Borgin and Burkes. We used the Extendable Ears and heard what he said. It was a bit odd; we couldn't make sense of it all, but he wanted something fixed, he needed to know how to do it. Then there was something he bought, but didn't want to take it with him. I saw it. It was a necklace with opals on it."

"So," Hermione began slowly as they walked past the owlery. "You think that Draco is doing something ghastly for Voldemort? That he's really a Death Eater now, trying to get more Death Eaters into the school?"

Ginny looked around her nervously. "Yes," she whispered. "I don't know how he'd manage it, with all the security Dumbledore has placed on the castle walls, it's been declared impenetrable!"

"Well, I won't say Harry's instinct is unfounded; however, more proof is what's needed, Ginny. You'll have to actually catch him doing something. By the way, how are things with the D.A.? Are you all still meeting?"

"No," replied Ginny. "It's been so chaotic. Harry's so obsessed with that blasted book and then there's Quidditch. Harry's the new captain for Gryffindor."

Hermione smiled. "Good for him! That must be a nice change after the ban he got from Umbridge last year," she said.

"Well, there's so much disorder, and Harry is just far too cocky in Defense class. Ron thinks it's all so terribly funny, but he's getting detention all the time! Oh, and then there is the 'Slug Club.'"

"What?" Hermione whined. "Don't tell me that blowhard is doing that again!"

"He's invited me. He was rather fond of my Bat-Bogey Hex," she said while laughing. "Do you remember him?"

Hermione snorted. "Yes, I do. He was my Potions teacher. Although, he favored Lily a great deal. Lily, Severus, and I were always the top three in school. Some classes I outshone them, while others, like Potions, I was always third place. Lily and Severus were always vying for the top spot. Lily was a dab hand at Potions. Lily and Severus were in the Slug Club. I was far too busy trying not to upset the balance of people's futures to get involved. Then when I was practically pushed into the spotlight by the Slytherins, I hated it and got continuous backlashes about it from Sirius."

"It's so strange to hear you talk about Harry's mum," she said. "Sometimes I look at you, and I still can't believe how old you are. Hermione, why did you and Sirius not ever get along? Did something happen between you two?"

"Ginny," she said, "out of respect for Harry, I cannot go into any details. Just suffice it to say that he and I never got along. He never hated me like he did Severus, but he never trusted me, never had any faith in me. Everything to him was a slight, a shot, a deliberate knife in the back every time something happened. But finally, our last argument was so bad I did hurt him on purpose. I hurt his pride and his ego, and that was the end. We never spoke after that."

"Well, to be frank, Hermione, I'm concerned that Harry is following in Sirius' footsteps. Ron told me about their first Defense class with Snape, and it was a complete disaster. Harry mouthed off so badly that he got into serious trouble. The Quidditch team is in shambles, Harry's in detention, and all he can think about is that ruddy book!"

"Do you think you could get it away from him for a bit?" Hermione asked. "I mean, the Aurors could perform some enchantments on it. If Harry's feeling a bit paranoid about Draco being up to something, it would only stand to reason he would be at least a little suspicious about the book."

"No," Ginny answered. "All he can think about are the perfect potions he makes and how much praise he gets from Slughorn about how much he's like his mum."

"Well, try Ginny. And in the meantime, I will plan on talking to Harry this weekend. First Hogsmeade trip of the year!" she said as she went her own way. She was going to have to think about how to get that book from Harry, or at least get it to Severus. She just knew it had to be Severus'. It had to be.